Random Recolor Tool

Use this tool to try out different color schemes on your quilt.

You may not see the Random Recolor  tool on your screen. If not, here is how to get it:

1. Click the Customize Toolbar    tool in the bottom, right hand corner of your screen.

2. Click Add/Remove Buttons…

3. Choose Random Recolor  from the list.

How to use the Random Recolor Tool

1. Design and color your quilt with fabrics or solids.

2. Click Add to Sketchbook  to save this version. You may want to go back to it later.

3. Click the Random Recolor tool.

4. Choose an option in the dialog.

Shift Hue  – hue is what makes something red, green, or blue.

Saturation – could be described as purity of color. High saturation would be very rich colors, whereas low saturation would look washed out. The saturation is changed by adding or subtracting gray.

Brightness – refers to the intensity of color. A high brightness would have a lot of white, a low brightness more black.

Randomize – Choosing Randomize will replace all the colors in the quilt with a different color from the current palette. As it does this, EQ will keep track of the colors used and try to prevent duplication. However, the more you click with the Random Recolor tool set to Randomize, the more you may notice the colors “collapse” and you may find that what once were different colors are now the same color in the quilt. The more colors you have in your Sketchbook the better the results.

Map to Colors – This feature will replace each fabric or color with the closest color in the current palette. If a fabric is being replaced, closeness means closest to the fabric’s average color. Using Map to Colors after shifting any of the  values will change the calculated colors to colors from the current palette.

Map to Fabrics – This feature works just like Map to Colors except it replaces each color with the closest fabric from the current palette. Closeness for fabric is measured using the fabric’s average color.

Tolerance – the distance EQ will look when making a replacement between the actual color and potential replacements.

5. Click directly on the quilt. The quilt will change based on the adjustments you made.

6. Continue to click to see different variations. Be sure to click the Add to Sketchbook tool to save any colorations you like.

7. Click Add to Sketchbook to save your quilt.

The Random Recolor tool is only available on Layers 1 and 2.

Here are some examples of “Randomized’ quilts. They are not all gorgeous, but they certainly can provide inspiration for some wonderful color schemes.

the original

Tip: Not sure which fabrics will work best for your quilt? Then color your quilt in solids first, then click the Random Recolor tool, and choose  Map to fabrics. EQ7 uses the fabrics in your sketchbook to color your quilt! The more fabrics you have in your sketchbook, the better the results usually are. (click on each quilt for a closer look)